GRAND RAPIDS, MI - East Grand Rapids High School was among 10 Michigan schools that qualified for the College Board's AP STEM Access program to increase the number of traditionally underrepresented minority and female students who participate in Advanced Placement programs

A $5 million grant from Google as part of its Global Impact Awards to DonorsChoose.org allows more than 800 public high schools across the country to be invited to start new AP math and science courses. The grants, which would vary from $1,200 to $9,000, would be used by teachers for professional development and to acquire classroom materials, lab and technology equipment, college-level textbooks, and other resources.

The funds are also meant to encourage traditionally underrepresented minorities - black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native - and female students who demonstrate strong academically to explore and enroll in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines and related careers.

"We offer 13 different AP classes to expose our students that rigorous curriculum,'' said Jenny Fee, principal of East Grand Rapids High Schools, which has 963 students. "AP classes are for you to specialize in an area that you have a particular interest."

She said 311 students took 528 AP exams last school year.

Fee said some students choose not to take on six classes of college level work because of the stress and anxiety involved, choosing to focus on those courses of interest that meet their post-secondary goals.

"This is something we commonly hear," she said, noting the district is on the AP honor roll for a third year. "We have to look at the well-being of the whole child."

The school district's minority population is about 4 percent but the female component appears to be the driver of the qualification. The district was informed of at least 25 young women identified by the College Board from their PSAT's to have the capacity to pass AP level courses.

In 2010-11, qualifying schools had 10 or more black, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaska Native students — and/or 25 or more female students with high potential to be successful in one or more AP STEM courses that were not offered in their school. AP potential was defined as a 70 percent or higher likelihood of scoring a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Exam as predicted by the student’s performance on specific sections of the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

"Unfortunately, traditionally underrepresented minority students and female students often do not have access to AP STEM course work,” said David Coleman, president of the College Board.

Fee said you do have to be in a certain grade to take some AP courses and some require prerequisites, so that could be a factor for some students.

She said the College Board pointed out environmental science and computer science as potential new AP courses. She said participation in the new program is still being reviewed but of those options, environmental science is the more realistic because of prerequisites.

Fee said the district's next step is to participate in a College Board webinar to gain more information about the program to help determine participation.

In addition to the grants, to support inclusivity and outreach to students in the participating schools, all AP STEM teachers who increase diversity in their classrooms in these schools will receive a $100 DonorsChoose.org gift card for each student who achieves a score of 3, 4 or 5 on an AP STEM exam to invest in their classrooms.

In 2011, only three in 10 black and Hispanic students, and two in 10 American Indian/Alaska Native students participated in AP mathematics courses. There were also more male students than female students taking AP Exams in calculus AB and AC and chemistry, both offered at East.

Participating schools will start the new AP math and science courses next fall and will make a commitment to offer these new AP courses for a minimum of three years.

Other qualifying Michigan schools include: Skyline, Community, Huron and Pioneer high schools in Ann Arbor; Rochester High School; Canton, Plymouth and Salem high schools in Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district and Renaissance High School in Detroit. For more information about the program and a full list of qualifying schools visit the College Board website.